old-fashioned (and neo-modern) record reviews
A friend of mine in college used to have a large poster with a beach scene in her dorm room. She had insomnia, specifically due to negative thoughts that haunted her at night, so she cited this as the reason she was able to sleep. She gave the image a lot more credit than it probably deserved, but it did make her feel at peace. … Continue reading I Come To Shanghai Transport Us to a Paradise, of Sorts
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. We currently live in a culture of rabid misinformation. Talking heads try to convince us that our feelings are equivalent to facts. Truth is virtually meaningless. It will take decades to confront and undo these issues, and in all likelihood they will never actually be eradicated. And yet we still must fight, through whatever action we can. Artists have been … Continue reading HDLSS Dumb It Down With Nuanced Complexity
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. b. is an emphatically human record. BOSCO goes through many emotions over its eight tracks, using opaque metaphors to weave together anecdotes. Sometimes the narrative borrows from familiar places, whether in imagery or through direct lyrics, informing how she sees her artistry. She believes in the power of collaboration, and has had a real connection with virtually everyone with a … Continue reading BOSCO Gets Personal On Her Latest Project, b.
Australia has held tight to Gang of Youths, a rock band that has seen fame in their native stomping ground more readily than here in the States. Now it seems their new LP, Go Farther In Lightness, has made an ocean-spanning impact. Gang of Youths have written a record filled with introspective rock songs that showcase their adept musicality, boundless possibility, and above all, heart. … Continue reading Venturing to the Lightness with Gang of Youths
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. NVDES is an art collective based in LA, comprised of Josh Ocean, Madi Diaz and Sam Van Vleet, who convene in “Vibe City, Utah,” also known as Ocean’s living room. With NVDES, he can jam and experiment; it is a departure from his other band, Ghost Beach, who create high energy, structured pop. Ocean explained, “the goal of my new … Continue reading NVDES Bare All on La NVDITÉ Vol 1
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Panel is a new label based in London with their first full length compilation, titled Ample, out now. […] When initially organizing the compilation, the label had set out to give it some narrative direction, but coordinating collaboration became difficult. Instead, the songs were made entirely independently, and still, the direction of musical styles complement one another beautifully. With a Panel release … Continue reading Panel Releases Their First Compilation LP Featuring the Best of London’s Underground Producers
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. Gordi is the childhood nickname of Sophie Payten, who has been writing songs for the majority of her life. Her debut EP slowly came together for its release in the US last summer, introducing everyone to her delicate folk pop sound, which in the case of “Can We Work It Out,” was not easy to get out of your head. … Continue reading Gordi’s Debut LP Earns Your Trust With Its Emotional Honesty
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. “The thing with this record is that I don’t understand it, even though I wrote it,” [Imaad Wasif] told LA Weekly earlier this summer. He cites a period of disillusionment and hysteria, when he was, according to a press release about the album, prone to paranoid outbursts and frequently scrawled pentagrams to conjure demons. In the same way that there is … Continue reading Imaad Wasif Added to Desert Daze Lineup on Heels of Career Best LP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. The Man-Eaters were a fictional all-lady biker gang that terrorized a small Florida town and attacked a rival male biker gang, according to the IMDB description of the 1968 movie She-Devils On Wheels. This is the same film that the Montreal-based duo She-Devils cites as its namesake, but the DIY pop band doesn’t share the movie’s aggressive tone. Instead, their debut … Continue reading She-Devils Deliver Unconventional Nostalgia on Debut LP
Originally appeared on Grimy Goods. The instrumentation of Umm’s debut record Double Worshipper occasionally takes off with bouncing rhythms that can turn into extended jams on the drop of a dime. Hearing the natural dexterity they have with their instruments, especially in tracks like “Total Collapse of the Sun,” one can see how much fun this was for Drootin and Senseney to record. Read more. Umm … Continue reading Stefanie Drootin and Chris Senseney of Big Harp Didn’t Stutter in New Project, Umm
